Silicon eyed as way to boost electric car battery potential

Sila, which started at a laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology, says it has developed technology that can replace graphite entirely, helping to boost capacity and range.

Researchers at Vrije University in Brussels estimate that using silicon can cut the cost per kilowatt hour of EVs by 30 percent.

Sila, which counts BMW AG (BMWG.DE) and Amperex Technology Limited (300750.SZ) – the world’s largest producer of batteries for consumer goods – as key customers, aims to launch its silicon products in consumer goods next year.

“The year we have our eye on for being in the first vehicles is 2023 so we’ll need to get up to many gigawatt hours of capacity to make a meaningful impact in the automotive space,” said Berdichevsky, a former Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) engineer who helped design the electric carmaker’s Roadster model.More>>